10 Ways Regular Sex Can Make Your Relationship Better

Most people only think of regular sex as a reproductive process, and very few think of it as something that can help partners create healthier bonds. What people don’t realize are the ways sex can strengthen your relationship.

Aside from playing a reproductive and propagation role, regular sex can help create a happier relationship.

Most people shy away from speaking about sex, and when they do, it’s usually in hushed tones. It’s understandable to shield the younger ones from sexual talk because they’re not of age yet.

However, adults in relationships and marriages should fully embrace regular sex because of its positive effects on relationships.

As an adult, you need to ascertain how can i have a better sexual relationship. And try to find ways to achieve better sex in a relationship.

Does sex make a relationship stronger?

Sex is an important part of most relationships, as it fulfills a person’s sexual desires and need for sexual intimacy. It has the potential to enhance the bond that two people share. 

But how does sex strengthen a relationship? 

Oxytocin is a hormone that your brain produces after an orgasm. Oxytocin, also known as the “Happy” or “love” hormone, is responsible for a beautiful outcome in romantic relationships.

Researchers have observed oxytocin is released in the body when one engages in sexual activity. This hormone can deepen the bond that a couple shares with each other. It helps them get past their inhibitions and establish the connection that a couple shares. 

One study examined a group of 163 young adults to see the effect that lack of regular sex had on their relationships. The group comprised 60 couples (120 individuals) and 43 single individuals.

The researchers found that couples in a romantic relationship had a high level of oxytocin compared to the singles. 

Scientific data lets us know how important is sex in a relationship. 

Research shows that oxytocin contributes to emotional responses in your body, which help build lasting and stronger relationships.

10 benefits of sex in a relationship

Understanding why sex is important in a relationship requires us to take note of its advantages. 

Sex offers multiple benefits to health and relationships that it offers. It can improve the bond and attraction that exists between a couple. It further ensures that couples have better physical and mental health, which positively affects the longevity of the relationship itself. 

Here are some key advantages that can help you understand “Does making love strengthen a relationship?”

1. Happiness and relaxation

In another study, scientists found that oxytocin from regular sex can be influential in creating happiness between two people in a relationship. The study examined 3800 participants, and the result was that regular sex played a massive role in happier relationships.

Everybody wants a happy and relaxed partner. Joy comes with being with a happier partner, and this can make a relationship thrive. On the other hand, an angry partner can be unpleasant to be around.

Angry people act irrationally and are highly irritable. Small mistakes a happy partner would otherwise let slide are likely to aggravate an unhappy partner.

However, it’s essential to note that not just any sex will do when it comes to creating happiness. Forced sex is likely to do the opposite and make one partner unhappy.

It’s, therefore, paramount for couples to create healthy environments to make both partners enjoy sex. A few examples of things that both partners can do here are:

• Learning how to have regular sex the right way
• Ensuring that both parties are compatible with each other sex-wise. Some partners are more adventurous than others
• Personal grooming, for instance, cleanliness

2. Stress reliever

If you are still wondering, “how much is sex important in a relationship” we hope to clear your remaining doubts in this section.

Our daily lives are full of stressful situations, whether from a stressful work environment, dealing with sleepless nights with newborns or money issues. Most offices with an uptight boss have a running joke suggesting that the boss needs more sex.

Stress can lead to lower libido; however, curbing stress can do wonders for you.

So, is sex good for a relationship?

Regular sex can help you control your stress and eventually make you want more sex.

During sex, a person deeply inhales and exhales air into the body. The deep breathing technique helps eliminate stress by helping the body release tension responsible for creating stress.

Related Reading: 10 Ways to Have Stress-reducing Conversations With Your Partner

3. Keeps partners attractive

Have you ever thought of sex as a physical activity like exercise? Well, sex is similar to jogging, walking briskly or going up and down a flight of stairs.

Research shows that sex is similar to moderate workouts, which can help keep those pounds at bay. If you want to tone those abdominal muscles or pelvic muscles, having regular sex can help.

Let’s face it; most people want an attractive partner for having sex. In a relationship, a partner might gain a few pounds, making them appear unattractive to the other partner.

Weight gain is responsible for breaking up many relationships because most people prefer to have sex with people that have toned bodies.

4. Better health

Having sex with a person with a flabby stomach whose groin area you can’t even see because of several rolls of fat. Or having sex with a person with a toned body who can move with ease.

Of the two scenarios, which one is more appealing to you?

A physically fit person looks more attractive. The person might also be in a position to enjoy sex more often and might also be willing to experiment with different styles to keep monotony at bay.

Besides helping you achieve a toned body, regular sex also has a myriad of health benefits, such as:

• Helping you avoid chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or cancer
• Improving your brain health by helping you think more clearly, concentrate more, or reduce anxiety

5. Increasing commitment

Regular sex in a monogamous relationship can help improve the commitment level in a relationship. A committed relationship creates trust and pushes couples to remain faithful to each other.

One way to know if your partner is straying and getting sex from other people is to observe how they respond to you sexually. It’s rare for a cheating partner to enjoy sex with you if they’re cheating and want to do it often.

A cheating partner is likely to avoid having sex with you; even if they do, it might not feel organic.

A faithful partner, however, is sexually attracted to you and likely to enjoy sex with you. Trust comes in when you observe how your spouse behaves towards you sex-wise, and this is what helps create committed relationships.

6. Builds intimacy

One of the ways to understand how sex improves relationships is that it improves the emotional intimacy between a couple. 

Regular sex can bring down your defensive walls and help you open up. Furthermore, research has shown that sex and intimacy are intricately linked as both affect each other in significant ways. 

Related Reading: 4 Tips to Build Intimacy in a Marriage

7. Improves sleep

Regular sex can also help to improve the sleep pattern of a couple.

The benefits linked to how sex improves relationships also factor in studies that show that sex with a partner gave favorable sleep outcomes. It enhances the quality of sleep and the benefits of a rested body. 

Check out this video to learn more about the benefits of deep sleep and how you can achieve it:

8. Increases sexual compatibility 

The common saying that practice makes perfect applies to sex too. 

Regular sex allows couples to determine what works for them and what doesn’t. It allows you to figure out how compatible you and your partner are with each other sexually. And regular sex offers you the chance to improve things in that realm. 

9. Understand both your bodies

It gives you a chance to try new things, explore each other’s bodies and figure out what works for you both sexually.

You can learn more about your own body and that of your partner through regular sex. Through self-awareness, you get the chance to improve the sexual experience in your relationship.

Related Reading: What Your Body Language Says About Your Relationship

10. Can lower defensive walls

Regular sex can act as a deterrent to prolonged hostility between a couple, making relationships stronger. 

It can help a couple reconnect with each other and get past a bad moment or disagreement. It can also remind them about the intimacy they share instead of focusing only on the negatives. 

Summing up

Regular sex is critical in creating healthy relationships and can help turn failing relationships around. Things like building trust, aiding in relaxation, creating happiness and relaxation and keeping partners attractive can go a long way to making your relationship last longer.

However, it’s crucial to note that having sex for the sake of it can have adverse effects on a relationship. 

Forced sex or insisting on sex when the other partner is unwilling can do more harm than good. Partners can create conducive environments where both parties can enjoy sex.

Learning how to have sex the right way, what your partner likes or personal grooming can keep couples in tune with each other for maximum benefit.

If you don’t know where to start, there are courses available on the internet that can educate you on how to have better and more enjoyable sex.

Continue exploring this topic

Talk to our Marriage.com AI Relationship Coach

Chat with me, ask questions and get help

Start Chatting

Marriage.com AI: Your Relationship Guide

Talk through what's on your mind.

Automated

Hi, I'm your relationship guide. What's on your mind?

YOU COULD START WITH

How can regular sex improve my relationship?

Can sex strengthen a relationship?

AI guidance only - not therapy. In crisis? Call a helpline or Find a Therapist

Terms

Marriage.com Editorial Team Relationship & Marriage Advice

The Marriage.com Editorial Team is a group of experienced relationship writers, experts, and mental health professionals. We provide practical and research-backed advice on relationships. Our content is thoroughly reviewed by experts... Read more to ensure that we offer high-quality and reliable relationship advice. Read less

Marriage.com Assessment

What Help Does Your Relationship Need Most Right Now Quiz

Reviewed byJennifer Schulz, LCSW

Backed by relationship science and evidence-based psychology, this assessment helps identify the area of your relationship that deserves the most attention right now, whether things feel strong or slightly off. Research shows that even healthy relat...

Questions: 20 | Last updated: Jan 23, 2026

Sample Question

When you and your partner talk about something important…

We listen with care — even hard talks feel safe and productive

We try to talk, but lately emotional closeness feels harder to reach

I want to be open, but part of me still guards my heart

Our discussions sometimes spiral or end unresolved

It’s hard to feel close because our physical intimacy hasn’t felt strong lately

We often see things differently about goals or priorities

Take the Quiz Now